


Seeds of Doubt - extract from 'The Dance'

by love2imagine



Category: White Collar
Genre: Sadness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-27
Updated: 2015-02-27
Packaged: 2018-03-15 12:14:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3446807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love2imagine/pseuds/love2imagine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is an extract from the third Chapter of The Gathering, just a few words changed for a wider audience. Neal is with his very powerful and rich patron, who has come to know Peter (post S5) and asks why Neal can work with him with such ease, yet the partnership with Peter had so many problems.</p><p>Neal thinks back with sadness to Season 1, the Pilot, and all that came after. Just a little thought-journey.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Seeds of Doubt - extract from 'The Dance'

 

 

 

Neal sighed and said to this man who held so much power over him, yet who held those reins so gently, “I did try and work with Peter at the beginning and he shut me down.”

Neal hadn’t realised how alone and disappointed he had felt at that moment. He and Moz had done so much to catch the Dutchman : found that the original Spanish bond had been swapped out, which even the curator had missed, identified Hagen, located the warehouse, all of which Peter could _never_ have done. Peter had been reasonable and he had allowed himself some small hope. After all, Peter would have lost the Dutchman into the mists - but when he asked Peter if they could look into Kate's situation when and if they caught the elusive and brilliant forger, Peter would not even discuss it rationally. He stopped being like a partner and treated him demeaningly like a love-sick puppy and forced him to go into con-mode, to go it alone.

  _Could we have saved Kate, together? My needs never mattered because I was a criminal, even though I was only imprisoned at the time he shackled me to the FBI because I was trying to save_ ** _Kate._**

_But he never believed me, never asked me any questions about her. Assumed we’d had a lovers’ spat. I hadn’t seen that it was at that moment that deep-seated doubts took root in my soul about Peter, that he would never see me as an equal in any way. Never really see me as a person. Which is why the motel that disgusted him was an adequate housing for me, thrift store cast-offs good enough clothing. And that’s why June’s lovely place, and Byron’s hand-made suits made him so furious…strange man._

_This man beside me, with far more power and authority than Peter ever had, takes slaves and societies' rejects and elevates them to equal status, as nearly as he can. Peter wanted me abased and mortified. I tried not to see it, certainly was in no position to react to it, but that was not a nice trait in Agent Burke’s soul. I kept hoping, kept ignoring, and later offered him my heart, but I am so very glad he rejected it._

 

 

_The End_


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